Rear hatch closing effort adjustment

[Mtpisgah]

My wife has problems closing the rear hatch on my X1 because the shocks are too stiff. Is there a way to adjust the pressure on these to make it easier to close?

[EpistemicConfusion]

But other than that

[HBWT]

Originally Posted by Mtpisgah

Is there a way to adjust the pressure on these to make it easier to close?

no

[Mtpisgah]

I will let you recommend that EC. If i do it, she will hit me with the barbell.

Thanks HBWT, hopefully they will loosen up some with time as has happened on every other wagon/SUV I have owned. A few years from now.

[Grovsnus]

Actually, the weight comment might have been unintentionally helpful.
Placing weights inside the rear door might make it easier to close. If there's 5 lb more weight there, that's 5 lb less pull she would have to do.

[0w40X1]

I'm 61 and weak, and yeah, it's firm, but it'll get weaker, and I'll tell you what's a real bitch.

Just think if you are bent over into rear, and weak struts allow the hatch to slam on you.

It's happened to me on camper shell window, and not fun.

[EpistemicConfusion]

Originally Posted by UMBC2015

She might have it easier, but her X1's struts certainly won't.

Plus, in order to get that full 5 pounds of weight to help her, it would need to be located precisely where she closes the door from. If it is located too high up on/in the door, it won't amount to the full 5 lbs of assistance, so to speak. I know that's too technical, but something to consider.

I definitely do not recommend it.

I was just working on finding a place in my trunk for a traffic triangle which I bought from Bimmerzone in hopes of finding a euro traffic triangle that slots into the provided holder on the hatch lid....haven't found a place yet, but it does tell me something about the hatch struts: They are designed to hold at least 1 more pound (roughly) of weight, placed as far forward as the euro-traffic-triangle-holder.

How much help would a pound be? I don't know, but it couldn't hurt.

[danielj]

I dislike having to slam it shut. Embarrassing when friends or coworkers are with me.

[briar08]

No need to slam, you just need to get past the half way point and let gravity do the rest. The harder you slam, the worse it works.

[Grovsnus]

Originally Posted by UMBC2015

She might have it easier, but her X1's struts certainly won't.

It may still be easier to replace struts than the wife's shoulder.

Anyhow, the struts shouldn't take damage from just a few pounds. When staying open or being closed, the work is the same: zero. Think about it - the struts holding the car up don't get worn on a car sitting on the showroom floor.
It's movement that wears struts. Kinetic energy. And when actually closing the trunk; whether the force then comes from an arm or a dead weight doesn't matter to the struts. The speed of closing does. I'm pretty sure those things are dimensioned for several times the load, so they won't break just because someone lifted or closed the hatch twice as fast as normal.

[danielj]

Originally Posted by briar08

No need to slam, you just need to get past the half way point and let gravity do the rest. The harder you slam, the worse it works.

Perhaps they eventually changed something on recent models but I've tried every possible way. You think it's closed then the dreaded "trunk open" light comes on.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by danielj

Perhaps they eventually changed something on recent models but I've tried every possible way. You think it's closed then the dreaded "trunk open" light comes on.

Yep, slam it every time or the light comes on. I did it for twelve years with my last BMW and the shocks lasted the whole time.

[EpistemicConfusion]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Yep, slam it every time or the light comes on. I did it for twelve years with my last BMW and the shocks lasted the whole time.

Perhaps the solution might lie in switching your struts to the 2014 struts? I too shut it to slightly more than halfway, and gravity carries it the rest of the way.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by EpistemicConfusion

Perhaps the solution might lie in switching your struts to the 2014 struts? I too shut it to slightly more than halfway, and gravity carries it the rest of the way.

Could be, but I'm not the OP, I don't have any issues closing it. My 5'3" wife has a little trouble with it, but not enough to monkey around with changing the struts for a small difference. Ours is more a latching issue than an effort issue. You're right that once it's partially down, it tends to bring itself down, ours just seldomly latches completely, so once it pivots down, I tend to give the license plate a good shove to ensure it latches. RealOEM also lists one part number for the struts for all E84s, regardless of LCI or not and doesn't list a change for 2014.

[COOLGREANY]

Originally Posted by EpistemicConfusion

I was just working on finding a place in my trunk for a traffic triangle which I bought from Bimmerzone in hopes of finding a euro traffic triangle that slots into the provided holder on the hatch lid..

Hmmm, I could swear there was a triangle delivered with mine - maybe because we picked it up in Germany?

[EpistemicConfusion]

Originally Posted by COOLGREANY

Hmmm, I could swear there was a triangle delivered with mine - maybe because we picked it up in Germany?

My understanding is the one that fits there isn't DOT spec, and thus cannot be sold here. Or some such nonsense.